Son of Hades
by detrametal
Summary: Junior's linage lies in ruin. Hades and Grim along with many who held great power are gone. Devoured. But from their death has arose a darker being-Oblivion. Mind the rating, it may not appear to be an M now but it will quickly dissolve into one. Sorry but both this and my other GT fic are not going where I want them to and I'm working on a new one with a similar premise but better
1. Chapter 1

As per my usual M.O. I don't own Grim Tales, I can't draw worth a flyin' flip so it's better that I don't.

As per my…well, not usual I want to take this space to thank AkumaKami64 who helped me set a better style and to Broconi who was an excellent person to bounce ideas off of and even helped me as a proofreader. Thank you to both of you.

* * *

Blood traced down his lips as he ran his sleeve across the pale mouth, as he pulled his ruined arm back into it's socket he spied a man in full battle armor "Whooooo are youuuuu?" he hissed. With a roar the knight rushed forward, sword drawn, the smaller man dodged nimbly and wrapped a finger around the hilt of the knife the attacker had on his belt, with a twitch it was in his hand and he watched his opponent roll his massive shoulders. The armor-less fighter slipped under the diagonal sword slash and stabbed into the crease of the armor before ducking back out.

With a riotous laugh the knight stepped forward "Foolish creature! This armor is too thick for any knife to pierce!" and again he rushed in as his counter part rubbed his chin before delivering a paralyzing kick to the neck. The knight dropped his sword and huddled over as he grabbed his throat and wheezed. The smaller gripped his shoulders and picked him up before slamming him down like a sheet on a bed. The coughing stopped as the tip of the knife aided by the force of the slam cut through the armor and into the knight's lungs.

With a hiss he stepped into the light as his tongue brushed past his teeth and he gripped the sword lightly before smashing it against the floor, blade shattered he sheathed it and continued on.

Time to see _his _son…

* * *

Mandy woke up in a cold sweat. Something that never happened before. She wrapped her arms around herself as Grim woke up and silently pulled her into his chest, that was one thing she always loved about her husband. He knew when to give her his silent support. She buried her face in his chest until her glare could regain it's potency.

She stood and nodded her thanks to him, he just smiled and gestured towards a robe that hung on a near by hook. A knock sounded as she tied the belt "Milady! Cerberus is missing!" Pain, always so eager.

The King and Queen of the Underworld made their way down to the Vault. Just as Pain had said, the chain binding Cerberus was broken and the Guardian long gone. Junior sat at the end of the broken chain, his face a blank expression, Minnie, Mimi and Chi all giving him the space they felt he deserved. Chi shook her head "It takes me a week to get daddy to let me come here and then this happens…" she sighed as she watched Junior raise a shaking hand to brush against the enormous link.

The Crown Prince struggled to stand as the chill of the action now pierced him to his very marrow. Cerberus was the only one he called friend, the loyal hound would listen to him when no one else would, his only friend in this lonely existence. He had spent almost all of his time with the three headed canine. And he was thrown away.

Nergal Junior slowly came down the steps and took in the scene before him, the one-eyed prince, he walked over to the boy and laid a hand on his shoulder, as the boy shook he tried to pull him closer. A near fatal mistake.

Junior gave a scream and the nergal demon inside his body reacted as thousands of blades pulsed out of his body like a ripple in water. As he stood the blades formed chains that circled him like snakes and snapped at anything that approached with heads of demons and fangs of anti-creation. The Voice of Damnation echoed from his mouth, the voice that his father had given him through the Bitch Queen **[All of you have forsaken me, this creature was the only one that cared not. To it I was a simple grain of sand, the same as the rest of the world. It never turned on me until now, this one betrayal. I will teach it never to forget me again]** those listening were nearly flung back by the power of the voice, but the physical force was a trifle, it was spoken with the same pressure as anything else. It was the rage.

As Junior took a step towards the gaping hole in the wall another voice came from his mouth, this one deeper and older _[Why? My hound has simply heeded it's master's call. It is bound to me, now that I am free so too is everything made from me. You too will be free in time. I am coming. This is our death]_ Junior grabbed his skull as the voice receded.

* * *

Kare slowly stood as his malicious smirk reached from ear to ear. He could kill those four that held him back from ruling all the Underworld in one night. He reached for his cane before he adjusted the gauntlet he now wore.

* * *

Junior stood still as stone as the burnt-out Sol fell and the undead Luna took her place in the sky. The fangs of the chains still snapped at those who approached, yet the body never moved. Those who were close to the boy sat at the far end of the chamber, thankful that he was before the doors of the vault.

Mandy hissed under her breath and another hour passed, Minnie stared at her brother "Mother prithee, what voice doth issued from mine brother's skull?"

She was silent as she wrung her hand against the grip of her pistol, after a moment Grim answered "Ta voice chu eard be dat of Junya's birf fadda."

Minnie slowly gasped "Master of Cerberus…Hades?"

"Hades Charon" Mandy allowed herself "The one known as the King of the Afterlife. After Grim reaps them they take his boat to his hall where they are sent above or below. He is the only one that ascended past an overlord."

"Yes, and more than likely the last"

With a groan Grim snarled "Clockwerk, can dis day get any worse?"

The master of time smiled lightly "I have to be here, where Hades is concerned I cannot see"

"I guess that's what I get for eating your successor" came another voice. They turned to the opening to see who would now give their thoughts.

From Junior came the answer** [Same aura. You are Hades.]**

He bowed "Indeed, and you must be Junior" he stepped forward and stared at his son "You take after your father" he whispered with a glance at Grim.

Hades walked over to speak with Mandy and Grim, and everyone save Time, Death, and The Queen saw the man who was called the Most Terrifying, the Pilot of the River Styx, Keeper of the Gates. He was a slight man, only as tall as Grim and nearly as thin, with ashen skin. The eyes that shine like the brightest stars in the heavens. Eyes that Junior had shown when his soul traveled to the Land of Tainted Souls. Minnie stared at him with a neutral expression as he smiled lightly "Mandy, I never knew you had so many children"

The Queen put a hand on Minnie's shoulder "She's mine, the others crept in"

With a chuckle he introduced himself and the others to him. He was a gentle soul it seemed but as he went to try to calm down his son yet another voice spoke "So that is the dreaded Hades, Keeper of both the Gates of Heaven and Hell…but why are his eyes so bright? I thought he resided in the Underworld?" Chi let out a squeal and tackled her mother.

Mandy pinched the bridge of her nose and look at Pain who shrugged and glared at the skeleton guard that smiled and waved. Mandy took note of the name tag "Abby Normal" goddamn Young Frankenstein. Even Grim looked at Clockwork for the answer "When the Underworld was first formed and I myself just born, Hades existed with his two brothers, they made promises to the people that they ruled over. The other two broke those promises easily and repeatedly. When Hades was born he gouged out his eyes as a oath to keep his word, and therefore never had a chance to see.. When his empire fell the Heavens granted him the name "Word Keeper" in honor of his truthfulness. God asked him what he might want as a gift and Hades said he only whished to see what the world was like, God asked him by what mean he would see by. Hades didn't care, God spent a long time thinking before giving the eyes that shine like the brightest stone on his throne."

They sat in silence watching as Hades tried to reach his son of bone.

* * *

Kare readied himself and those he would bring before he opened the portal and flooded the room with the hellish gas. Within his clawed grasp the small glass orb seemed to writhe and groan before he opened it and allowed that vapor to join its brother. The third orb was explosive.

* * *

The explosion propelled the gas through the rift as it blasted those in the room onto their backs-save Nergal Junior who took a large brunt to the point that even his demonoid powers couldn't heal him, the first gas started working as Grim and Junior felt their powers dim to a mere flickering ember and their unlife weep away, the second reduced Clockwork and the already weakened Hades to similar states. As he walked through HIM splashed Mandy, Ikra and the girls with a harsh yellow liquid and physically threw them into the walls where they were held firm "I'll deal with you in a moment you traitorous whores" he growled as Ikra and his daughter.

Clockwork clutched his throat as cough after cough wracked his body "Ju-Junior!" the young reaper slowly twisted his head towards the sound, his once bright gray orb now dulled "H-HIM cannot…gain…time"

Him kicked the Master of the Sands harshly "Aw, no need for that Work ol' buddy! Is it so wrong to want to be the strongest?" one claw held an empty injector that moved towards the spirits neck. A howl broke through the dark air like a plague through a sick ward and the Cerberus, now exposed as a vicious beast slammed into the form of Kare with a predator's brutality.

Grim slowly crawled towards his son until the bare tip of his finger scraped along his progeny's stark white femur, transferring what little power he had to allow Junior to keep the devil from ruining all things. The Heir's bones pulled themselves together as the demon that lived within him shakily lifted one eye. The pain and weakness that overtook him cannot be measured by beings so frail that a century is the end of their life, yet the Heir dragged his bones over to the dying Time before he paused in confusion. Hades choked out "U-use your instincts" and Junior did. His blue eye forced it's way past his spirit and into a physical manifestation. Before he unleashed something more vile than even Kare, the symbiotic nergal hid inside his abdomen and shivered in fear.

The power of the Gate Keeper and Pilot of the River Styx rushed through the bone opening the Maw of Abysium, 666 razor sharp spines forced their way through the bone of Junior's mouth and his jaws were forced apart with a sickening snap, as he collapsed in sheer pain an innumerable amount of tendrils of tongues flew out of the Maw before wrapping around the dying soul and dragging him into the blackness. The snap of the jaws was a signal of finality. The Maw started to pass until the voice of his father passed through him **"Junya, ya got ta et meh. Do it fo ya mudder if not me"** Hades nodded in agreement before the abyss opened again. As the tendrils reached out again the adrenaline started to leave his decayed body and he nearly couldn't finish it. But the two did fall into his body. Turning an eye on the attacker he found it as he expected it. Nergal Junior stood in front of the formerly cackling HIM, the laughter cut short by Soul Edge cutting a deep slash across the back of the devil. The wound from the blade wasn't healing and that the Lord of Tainted Souls was not accustomed to, he bled profusely as he shoved his cane through the thigh of the annoying insect of a demon.

The Red One nearly leapt at the defender as he dropped his sword and stared past the assassin. Until he felt the horrid gaze, as he turned he was met by the black oblivion of the Maw as it slammed shut on him.

Nergal Junior fell to his knees as the yellow slime turned to dust and his daughter rushed over to him. The guardian of his father's realm tried to smile under his pained grimace "Junior, I need you to use your powers to give Minnie her body back" he was met by silence and the hate filled glare of his godson "I know I abandoned you…but please!" as the blood started to stain the flagstones beneath him "A-and the promise that I made, but now that Grim's gone you have to do it!"

"**MiNniE, sTand NeXT TO the TRaiToR" **he hissed in a growl and she did, for the first time fear of her brother leaking into her rag doll veins. The son of Nergal smiled weakly at the princess of the Underworld as his body boiled into a thick ooze before it wrapped her in its inky depths. A moment passed and the ooze retracted-absorbed into the girl. Unmarred. Whole. Alive. Junior stepped over before ripping the eye that belonged to her out of his skull and inserting it into hers. The Maw opened a final time to take in the near dead demon father before the change of the sudden influx of power overtook his form.

The energies that pulsed through Junior pushed outward until they covered his form in a swirling mist of different colors so dense that not even light could pierce it. But his screams did. Those still alive rushed to the orb as his screams escalated to a ear shattering level Pain slowly lowered his hands from his ears as the screaming faded only to be replaced by even more ominous breathing. His sixth sense that kept him alive, the same one that told him to serve Mandy now told him a monster was in the room. One greater than even Mandy herself.

Like an egg the mist shell cracked and out stepped a monstrosity. Traces of every creature he had eaten shown through the vessel of this most demonic soul, the black iron boots that covered it's feet were dressed with the screaming skulls of humans and layered greaves that bent down to a single point in the center while above the knee a four inch sharpened spike stood in terrifying beauty against the black silk. Across the waist was a belt of thousands of gray stands twisted around each other coming to a buckle of two clasped talons of living gray fire. The Devourer's chest was covered by a tight jacket that flared as it reached the back of it's feet, across the right side the silvery filaments twisted and tangled against each other as they shifted- depicting all the souls in Heaven, on Earth, or Under the Earth. As the jacket pulled up to a hood a collar sat behind the cover, just under ear level covered with snowy white fur with traces of silver, in the darkness of the jacket the shadow that hid the face was indistinguishable, the same sharp eyes the Reaper-Beast had were now in this creature, but one was alight with the face of a clock while the other was containing the raging silver fire that seemed to try to seek out more fuel. The sharpened green teeth that once shone so brightly in it's mouth were now spikes of crimson pain. The tail of the creature that had taken this body once before was swaying in agitation as beautiful wings of grotesque green and black flesh slowly stretched to the full length, nearly thirty feet of broad wing that curved just slightly at the end as the tendrilled feathers molded to a sharp tip.

But when they saw the hands Mandy felt her heart stop for the second time in history. She was horrified that this creature had came out of her womb, terrified that three of it's souls had shared her bed, petrified at the aura that nearly made her empty her stomach from terror. The black silk only went to the elbows where it became a gauntlet, the left was a twin to the greaves but instead of the screaming skulls the hand was covered with atrociously long claws-talons of bone and metal. The six inch tools of butchery sat idle as the transformation continued and a matching spike issued from it's elbow, another six inches of bladed death.

The right arm of Death twisted and churned like a black mist until the creature growled and the fabrics of creation aligned for it. Ikra and Mandy were the only two that did not empty their stomachs across the floor, even the three headed Guardian Hound purged itself in terror at that heart-stopping appendage.

This arm was not covered with metal but the simple fingerless glove it once wore, but from it's elbow sprouted a blade that towered beyond head level yet it didn't match the other blades in luster nor brightness. This one was darkened ash with the faces of the damned etched onto it's surface with a split tongue that descended four inches from the tip .Mandy prayed that is was not the thin Chaoseater from her vault, the one tool that could end all life. From under the sleeve came links of Luna's light that twisted into the edge of a scythe. The Tool of Death. The butt of the weapon was an orb like the pendulum of a clock, the shaft was black wood where something lurked, as the blinking eyes from the knots attested, the blade blazed that same silver flame with a jagged pattern. Like the teeth of a saw. As the creature's eyes met each and everyone of them they saw yet more to separate this abomination from the boy that stood there only moments ago.

Across it's face lit thousands of runes that shifted from languages long dead to those not yet written in a hypnotic pattern that mesmerized just as the red pattern that traced the left of the skull, a twisting flame that curved around the socket before contorting down to stop between the eyes.

A rift opened and fifteen creatures came through, the first was a thin woman wearing a funeral shroud carrying a torch upside down, the smoke obscured her face and drifted around her making her features impossible to see, behind her was a thin man in a sarong, his shaggy blond hair hung in his light blue eyes as he ran the back of a hand across the sleepy orbs. Three stepped out of the void and Mandy grimaced, doglike, with hair of snakes-The Furies The others that followed through the rift were horrid creatures, the bodies of vultures matched with hideous faces of hags that would be found screeching and jeering if their master had not been eaten. The woman stopped before turning around and stepping back between the rift without a word, the tired man tried to stop her "Thanatos!" she replied with a huff and disappeared.

The Creature looked towards the now fourteen who bowed beneath the weight of his gaze, the metal rattled as he twisted his head to the side, it started as a hum that slowly morphed to a screech the rattled the very ground, glass shattered and the walls started to crack until it stopped. As the vibrations passed and those in the room felt their vision return those kneeling were changed.

Across their bodies were spider webs of cracks that spread like rifts until Junior slammed the end of his scythe on the ground and they shattered only to be replaced. Cerberus was now a sleek black dog with three identical heads with sharp glaring crimson eyes and ears pointed to catch the slightest sound and the muzzles with fangs to enforce it's master's will. Hypnos was now wrapped in a gold sheet of softest sand as he floated above the floor by several inches, even though he was the God of sleep there was a calmness in him now compared to the insomniatic frustration that seemed to follow him before. The Furies were now beautiful women, tall and slim wearing leather armor across snow white gowns with cruel weapons sitting around their waists. The Harpies now were young girls, thirteen or so they appeared, with wings for arms and birds feet instead of human ones, they hopped happily as they grew accustomed to their new attire, jean shorts and light red shirts- but their job was still to torture, pronged whips sat around their hips as belts.

Hypnos bowed to his master with a smile. But the thanks was not acknowledged. A bright portal opened before them and an angel similar to the Redeemer stood there _"How dare you give these beasts new form?!" _it screeched.

Mandy shot at it only for the bullet to be knocked aside "Better question asshole, how dare you burst into my home after this attack?!"

"_I am Michael, the Archangel, here to purge this abomination from Creation!"_ But Junior had taken this time well, he stood on all fours, tail stabbed into the ground before him like a scorpion.

Mandy shouted "COVER YOUR EARS!" just before a sonic boom was produced from the sheer speed at which the Eater flung himself at the angel and through the portal, the mirror to another world closed and the group of fourteen found themselves face to face with an angry Mandy, a rather irate Pain, a curious Chi, a blank Mimi, a stunned Ikra and a wrathful Minnie.

At the sight of six weapons pointed at his face Hypnos babbled "I-Is there anything I can do for you?" he rubbed his palms together nervously before reaching into the sheet and pulling out a plastic bag filled with brownies.


	2. Chapter 2

Nergal sat in his darkened room of screens as static danced "Hours, hours, hours…"

The other figure in the shadows nodded "And then this farce draws closer and closer to it's end. If he does indeed take the Throne then _they _will never rise again."

The old demon nodded "But if he does take that spot both of us will be gone before it happens"

"Not even you can see what happens beyond the Veil…"

Nergal tapped his sharpened nails against the wooden chair once again. Tap, tap, tap…

* * *

Jack Skellington wasn't happy to be called to Castle Grim as he was, but the summons was urgent, written by Mandy herself. She knew things that no other being was privy to. Like how he was the original Reaper, it was only when his elder brother took the head of Zeus did Jack step down. Jack simply didn't have the mindless wrath to kill the Thunder God on the whim.

He did not lack the power. But even he was stunned when he saw the gathering of some of the most powerful beings in the Underworld. Mandy herself held her personal Chaoseater across her back. Her only words when she saw him was "Come with me."

She told him of Junior and he sat quietly for a long time before he opened his skull "Why did you call me here, I couldn't hunt Junior if it meant the end of the world"

"I know, that's why I called you here instead of meeting you at Halloween town. You and Sally will watch over the castle till I get back"

He nodded. The hunt was on.

* * *

In the White Abyss the seven Archangels-Gabriel, Michael, Raphael, Uriel, Raguel, Remiel and Saraqael found themselves staring into the face of the monster called Oblivion.

The creature spun the scythe in it's hand as the others drew their weapons. In a flash Saraqael was eaten and the others darted away only a moment later. The only notice that one angel was gone was the snap of jaws and a spray of blood.

Michael felt the sweat fall down his face and mingle with the bloody spray forming a thin film. He couldn't see the attack. It was faster than anything else he had ever fought and now he truly wished that he had learned more about the family that spawned this creature. But before him lay something not even his Beloved Father had spoken of, in truth the Father had not spoken to anyone in more than 20 years, the last thing he had done before secluding himself was calling for the Unliven one…and that was more telling then he would ever know.

The remaining six attacked as one. The Reaping Blade lashed out and Gabriel and Remiel fell to the floor in pieces as the chain connecting the scythe to it's arm hovered in the air a moment to block the blades that fell.

"Not even dead are they safe!" Raphael shouted, and true the tentacles of the Nergal slithered out from underneath the jacket before pulling the corpses into the jaws of this thing most foul.

Needle thin lances of silver fire hovered in the air against the finger tips of it's upraised hands. Then it was done. The everblack had taken the angels who fell with the lances through their hearts. The Eater called the lances to carry their burdens to him.

* * *

From his lair the Unliven One lowered his head "Even Heaven's mightiest fall like kindling. What type of monster can stand up to this?" the smile on his face wasn't a smirk, nor did it have any trace of malice.

Anti-Cosmo hovered into the room, his black wings shuffling as he looked at the benevolent smile on the others face "Dear boy, you do realize that your words don't match what you've just said?"

The other nodded "Of course, but if we're to get anywhere he needs to be able to tear any that stand before him to shreds. This is why I asked you to become his godfather all those years ago."

The gentle "hmmm" was all that he received as both he and the anti-fairy stared at the screen watching him slam his jaws through bone and rip bloody still warm flesh from his victims now eating like a wild animal.

* * *

Mandy growled at Hypnos "Did your master say anything that would help me to track down Junior?" there existed an unspoken 'or do I need to find out how long a demigod's intestines are?'

Even if he had the Furies, the harpies and his sister to back him up he knew he wouldn't have won "M-master said that every eater looks for the strands that are connected to them…"

Mandy growled out one word "Nergal"

She turned to the group she was leading into the center of the Earth, Minnie, Mimi, Ikra, Chi, Pain and Hypnos.

Hypnos slowly gathered his wits "Not only him. You've told me the Anti-Fairies said they'd keep watch…then they might have a connection…a-and you too!"

Sally stood next to her husband "If it's anyone connected to him than won't you be the most appetizing target? I can think that maybe Jack and Thanatos would be targets too"

Mandy nodded and tossed the couple a small phone "If you hear anything call me." and the Bitch Queen opened a portal to earth, once again going to the center-this time of her own volition.

* * *

The Great Elder, Last of the Pure Bloods waited for his granddaughter to show up "Time, Time, Time…you're late, and we haven't much time. Come on."

The group stood around him and they allowed Mandy to ask the first question "What do you mean you don't have time?"

Nergal never stood from his chair "Mandy, no Minnie. Think about this, I can see the past, present and future of any being I have my threads connected to. Your brother became so powerful that my thread was cemented on to him. I can only see up until a few hours from now…and only through my eyes. He enters and we speak a bit. Then it becomes dark"

Minnie felt her revived nergalian senses twitch and slowly she came to the understanding "Dearest Grandfather…dost it mean…death? And what of I? Beyond your sight? How should that be possible?"

"Minnie…yes. Today is my last day. He will come and eat me and become more powerful than before. You I cannot see because he made you much stronger than I am. And you are the last pureblood Nergal that will exist. There is no greater pride than to see you grow up" he offered a kind smile and stood as she rushed over to hug him.

Even Mandy couldn't overcome her shock "What the fuck Nergal? Didn't you brag that there was no stronger demons in all the underworlds than a Nergal?! Didn't you tell me you were immortal?! What good does seeing do if you can't change it?!" she screamed.

Hypnos gathered the courage and pressed a hand to her shoulder "Calm down…he can only answer one at a time"

Nergal didn't let go of his blood as he answered "Yes. There are no stronger demons. But your son is no longer a demon. He's become something else. If I had to wager a guess, I'd call him a god. If I didn't know that he was a boy his powers alone would put him at the top of a Pantheon to terrible to imagine. As for seeing…I only can see what will happen, I can't change it, the only one who could was Clockwork. He saw all possibilities and could push things towards the more favorable path…now, I think we're through here and I have one more visitor before the end."

Mandy growled and her daughter hugged him tightly before the portal was opened and they stepped through. Again Nergal turned to the vastness before him and a smoky gray portal opened and a woman stepped through "Hello Thanatos…we have much to discuss…"

She who held the same title as the Grim Reaper, God of Death, sat before him. Their conversation lasted nearly an hour. The final words that were spoken were very simply "Thanatos, don't be foolish. He is your master. And through him everything you want lies before you."

The lower part of her face was visible for a moment as a smirk "But what fun is that? Besides, I'm tired of standing in the shadow of the Reaper for far too long"

Nergal chuckled as he shook his head "Girl, this isn't about being a Reaper or not. This is just about who lives and who dies. The Throne is empty" she sputtered and failed as her shock consumed her "And thousands will try to claim it. I've bet the entire existence of the Nergal race and the Underworld on him sitting there. As did your Master. Now, however, it is time for you to go…"

She did as he asked and he changed into a pure white suit with a light gray tie and his favorite shoes and again waited for the end…

* * *

Mina Harper was a vampire girl…that was all. She wished to grow up and get out of the castle that her 'father' put her in. But there were some interesting perks, like how her window looked out across the gate, where she saw a small group knocking and raced down to see who would bother her dad at this time.

"Welcome to my humble home, what honor as brought you here Lord…Lady Ikra?" after the incident with HIM the Count had taken to living on the outskirts of Aku City and both he and his ward enjoyed it. But it came with a cost, Ikra was now their lord…lady…and as such they were bidden to share what she asked.

The Shogun of Darkness bowed appreciatively "Thank you for your hospitality Count Vlad. But this visit if of the most serious nature. Recently HIM's attack on the Grim family went awry and now the heir is missing. We thought perhaps your abilities of scrying could find him"

For the first time Mina saw her 'father' pale "M-milady I haven't done a serious scrying in almost a hundred years! I doubt I could find him with my skills if you haven't already with your network"

With an elegant smile she seemed to soften him up "Please just try. We are nearing the end of our limits"

He closed his mouth and nodded before stepping out.

The Lady bowed to the apparent seven year old "Mina, how nice to see you again, I'm sorry we have to be in such a hurry"

The vampire curtsied "Milady it's always a pleasure and I wish I could help but seeing as I have none of the talents that you re-"

"We're bringing her" Mandy barked.

The floating man blinked "Why would we need to bring along a little girl?"

In a flash of rage Mina kicked him and screeched "I'M NOT A LITTLE GIRL I'M FOURTY YEARS OLD!" but to her shock her foot passed through and thousands of particle seemed to reform his body. Sand.

Mandy smirked and Minnie, Mimi and Pain all shuddered and inched away to hide behind Hypnos who looked like he might pass out from the slight chuckle the Bitch Queen let out "First because she's got spark, and second because a vampire's nose is more sensitive than even the little red brat's. The way I see it is that we've just been handed another tool to find him with. And I will take advantage of everything I can to find my son…" she looked puzzled for a moment before she shook it off.

The count saved the rest of them from an awkward silence by walking in "Mina, fetch that table" and soon enough a small end table was set before him and a bowl made of ash wood was before him. He looked at the group "Which one of you is closest to boy?"

That brought on a silence, the Count took no notice as he scrambled around trying to find a few other things as the group huddled, Minnie started "Brother dearest…should not I be the one?"

Chi scowled "No, it's not just the boy, who's had the most experience with ALL of the people he's…eat…en" she followed her mother's gaze to Mandy who ground her teeth.

Hypnos blinked "Why her?"

As Mandy walked over Ikra motioned Pain to take the others to the side "Take count of who the boy has eaten- Clockwork, who was close to no one, Grim, her husband, Hades, you're master and one of Mandy's bedmates at one time, HIM, Mimi's father and Nergal Junior, Minnie's father and yet another of Mandy's bedmates. The one here with the most connection to those IS Mandy and the fact that she is his mother makes her the most logical choice"

Vlad wandered back in with a old brown leather book, a papyrus scroll and a ceremonial knife he realized he was looking at Mandy and paled again before he staggered "L-Lady Mandy…I need a substantial amount of blood…usually I'd do this with a favored object but seeing as you didn't bring anything…the water of the bowl must be substituted and the blood runes must be of someone close to him…" she nodded and held out her wrist.

The knife did bite deep and soon the bowl sat in a small puddle of the crimson and yet a few more drops were taken before he allowed the flow to stop. With his various muttering he drew the symbols needed. A circle with an eye drawn in every cardinal direction and a small tick mark drawn at those directions, a pentagram was also drawn within the circle the fifth point directly at the Count who sat facing at the south end. Other runes were drawn and soon his chanting faded "I have him" and they moved closer to see the figure of Oblivion.

_The creature walked through a desert, occasionally he would bend to sniff the sand as a hunter would hunt a particularly tasty treat. Occasionally he would come across a sign and the hunt would be on again, but for this moment he stared up into the sky. Straight into the eyes of his watchers and snorted loudly before continuing his trek across the sands._

The spell shattered and the blood rippled as if a drop fell directly into the center and the elder vampire cursed quietly and leaned back "He blocked me, he found a way to block my sight…"

The phone in Mandy's pocket buzzed frantically and she hit the button and waited in silence for a second as Sally's voice came through "Milady! We've just found a list that has Junior's targets!"

"Where did you 'find' this list? And who wrote it?" she growled.

"We found it in Hades' things! A small bag that he left at the front before the attack" she panted breathlessly. "I'm sending over a copy…I think Clockwork, Nergal…and some other people were in on it too!"

"Send it."

The phone went silent before a different tone rang out and Mandy grit her teeth and punched the wall so hard that her immortal bones shattered before stitching themselves together. She scrolled past the part that had already happened and those below Nergal a deep line was marked and the names below started with

_Thanatos,_

_Anti-Fairies_

_Mandy_

_Minnie_

And more name but she came to the bottom and read further before turning to the group "Pain, get back to the castle with the Red Brat, Ikra and Chi. Hypnos, Minnie and the Vampire will go with me to find Junior. If he eats Thanatos then things are going to get a lot worse."

They all shuddered at the implications of that before quickly following.

* * *

Oblivion's mind was a wild raging beast, find the line and consume whoever was behind them. Lines were the strong tying him down. Find them and eat them to grow stronger. That was what his mind commanded. The endless voices…they wouldn't stop…after he ate another more voices came and yowled.

It was only when he was eating that the voices stopped. When his jaws tore through still warm flesh and blood ran down his chin and between his teeth, when his hands were buried wrist deep in the slime of entrails and his claws crusted with ichors did they quiet.

But something told him to wait as he came across this one. She stood out to him, too many voices said different things. But none told him to eat her. His sight changed from 'prey' to actual seeing and he took in this odd creature.

A very thin woman with pale stringy hair wearing a white funeral shroud and holding a smoking torch upside down…she was something much like one of the loudest voices…and something that another wanted to protect.

As he took a step towards her she took one back until her bare feet fell across a stone, she screamed and Oblivion snorted before slamming a foot on the ground, the same instinct that worked at the castle was here again. Telling him that this was one of his creatures…and that she was too weak to fend for herself-the fear every animal had, to not be able to defend yourself…what type of creature would leave a pack-cub like that? Slowly he touched her face though the smoke and her body started to crack like all the others.

What came out was vastly different.

Her feet were still bare but now she wore a long dress that seemed to tighten and loosen around her as if breathing and flowing to an unseen breeze, the torch she once held disappeared leaving her barehanded, but above all it cleared away the smoke, her hair followed the same strange wind and fell down to her very shapely hips in pale blue waves, her eyes were a smoky gray and her face was without flaw. Now her lips trembled as she felt the power that had linked her to her master. He wasn't dead. He was _there_, meaning he was **here**, he was _**before **_her.

She fell prostrate and cried out in joy "Master!"

But words were forbidden to him and every time in every life time of those he was and had been echoed out in unison. Every time the word Master was heard. And his mind shattered with a scream.


End file.
